the thing about baiting is that people have this viewpoint that an animal is lured in by the promise of food above all other things in the world and any animal takes leave of its good sense once under the allure of a bait... this is so untrue i almost don't know where to begin.
some of you anti-baiters hunt the eastern states (and i grew up in ohio where i've killed many deer with a recurve from a home-made groundblind and while stalking in the corn fields) and your perspective on hunting in general is derived from your experience hunting small tracts of timbered land.
i know my next statement to be very factual because i've had this conversation several times with different people. most easterners are completely overwhelmed by the amount of land and area to cover in the west that it's tough to know where to begin looking.
accross thousands or tens of thousands of acres, a bear wanders and finds food in many of the places it looks. so it is more practical to go looking for the bear, rather than letting it come past you on a trail right. and so it is with spot and stalk. but in a region so vast that there is no reason for an animal to use the same trails or even stay in the same river drainage, it's easier to try to get the animal to come to you.
in my opinion, many species of animals who travel to bait sites filter in and out of the area based on their seasonal migrations with little regard to what you have on the ground. this may mean they only stay in the area for a week or two instead of passing right through. which just prolongs your oppertunity a little.
take it easy on baiting, before you know it we won't be allowed to use doe estrous either.